Masked settlers attack Palestinian olive harvesters, injuring 12

Dozens of masked settlers attacked Palestinians during the annual olive harvest in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to cars and olive trees. A local official said 12 Palestinians were injured, including four dual Palestinian-American citizens. A foreign journalist was also among those hurt, and a BBC team witnessed one of the attacks in farmland near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah. BBC

The BBC team described seeing dozens of settlers dressed in black moving down a hill toward Palestinian farmers. The team said the settlers set fire to several groups of olive trees. Masked settlers threw rocks at Palestinians during the attack.

Yaser AlKam, a council member from Turmus Aya, said Majdi Fheed, an American citizen, was attacked by settlers with nail-studded sticks and needed treatment for deep wounds on his head. AlKam said Fheed's elderly mother was injured in the attack.

A man ferrying the injured to hospital said settlers burned three cars belonging to Palestinian olive harvesters. Palestinian landowner Amin Khalil said three villages came together to harvest olives on his land as protection against attack. Khalil said his land is surrounded by seven Jewish settlements and outposts.

A US State Department spokesperson said the United States was aware of the reports of West Bank violence and condemns criminal violence by any party in the West Bank. The United Nations says the past two weeks have seen more attacks by violent Israeli settlers than during the entire harvest season last year.

In a separate incident near the village of Burqa, officials said a Palestinian was killed during an Israeli settler attack while harvesting olives. Reuters